Terminator: I'm Back

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In-Fusio makes a wise second attempt at a wireless Terminator game.

By IGN Wireless

In-Fusio's Terminator: I'm Back isn't the wireless game maker's first dalliance with Arnold's robotic visage. Last year, In-Fusio released a whack-a-mole Terminator game that was definitely, uh, whack. Acknowledging they could have done better, In-Fusio is doing just that -- putting the final touches on a new action game that is, at least by our play testing, worlds better than their first effort.

Terminator: I'm Back is a two-pronged actioner that places the player in the shoes of a pre-timehopping Kyle Reese. Set in post-nuclear holocaust Los Angeles. You can either play a campaign mode that thrusts you in a series of missions to turn back the Skynet threat, or try out a survival mode where you must blast wave after wave of terminators as they march on a single-screen playing field.

The campaign mode begins inside one of the remaining human-controlled bunkers. The Machines have managed to break through your defenses and you must clear fight your way to the front door, blasting advancing Terminators about every eight steps with your rifle. Soon, the action moves outside where wreckage is everywhere -- and the Machines are three times more plentiful. Thankfully, there are other human troops that engage the enemy with you. Between each mission, you receive orders and play tips for the next piece of the campaign.

The survival mode is pretty entertaining so far. Rather than trifle with things like "story," this mode limits the real state to a single screen. Your challenge is to clear out the endless supply of Terminators, picking up health power-ups and new weapons from their charred, broken carcasses.

Terminator: I'm Back offers players multiple weapon choices, but most must be pulled from T-800 wreckage before they can be used. Your standard-issue rifle has unlimited shots, but later weapons, like laser guns have set amounts of ammo since they are much more efficient as knocking down Machines. You also have rockets, which is outdoor missions are fired up in the air and land on nearby Terminators, kind of like smart bombs. The only drawback to this, though, is that any Machine wasted with a rocket doesn't leave behind power-ups and items.

So far, the game is looking solid. The Reese model is kinda bland -- it looks just like every other uniformed human resistance fighter -- but the Machine sprites are nice. They crackle with blue electricity when shot, and end their "lives" in colorful explosions. Another neat touch: Should the Machines fry one of your comrades, they leave beneath a skeleton and empty helmet.

Terminator: I'm Back should be finalized very soon and ready for deployment. As soon as we receive a final build, we'll be back (ho ho) with a full review. In the meantime, enjoy these screens.